Mice infected via the tail vein were treated with placebo (hydroxypropylcellulose carrier), deferasirox, or deferasirox plus iron (FeCl3, 10 mg/kg) to reverse the effect of iron chelation. (A) Survival of mice (n ≥ 7 per group) infected with R. oryzae 99-892 (2.2 × 104 spores) and treated with various doses of deferasirox. (B) Brain and kidney fungal burden of mice (n = 11 per group) infected with R. oryzae 99-892 (4.2 × 104 spores) and treated with placebo, deferasirox (10 mg/kg twice daily), or deferasirox plus iron. Organs were harvested on day 4 after mice received 3 daily treatments. Data are displayed as median ± interquartile ranges. The y axis reflects the lower limit of detection of the assay. (C) H&E-stained kidney sections of mice infected with R. oryzae 99-892 and treated with deferasirox, deferasirox plus ferric chloride, or placebo as described in B. Arrows indicate R. oryzae hyphae in tissue. Sections are representative of findings throughout organs in all mice in the respective groups. Original magnification, ×400. (D) Survival of diabetic ketoacidotic mice (n = 24 from 3 separate experiments with similar results) infected via the tail vein with R. oryzae 99-880 (average inoculum, 1.3 × 103 spores) and 24 hours later treated with 10 mg/kg deferasirox twice daily for 7 days. *P < 0.05 for survival and †P < 0.002 for tissue fungal burden compared with placebo or deferasirox plus ferric chloride.